What Makes A Family
by Caz Malfoy
Summary: Dylan Fic: When Jack's ex-wife comes back into his life, him and Ianto have a hard decision to make...


**Title: **What Makes A Family  
**Fandom: **Torchwood  
**Pairing: **Jack/Ianto, mentions of Gwen/Rhys and Jack/OFC (past)  
**Rating: **FRT  
**Summary: **When Jack's ex-wife comes back into his life, him and Ianto have a hard decision to make...  
**Author's note: **This is set in the same 'verse as Enjoying the Simple Things and First Date (see my profile for both fics). This story is set approx six years after 'Enjoying the Simple Things'. You'll notice there's an additional member of the family, don't worry too much about where this character came from. It'll be explained in one of my next few fics, just accept their presence for now. :-)  
**Author's note 2: **Wow. I can't believe the response this series has gotten. I originally intended for 'Enjoying the Simple Things' to be a one shot, but thanks to you guys have a few more fics left in me for this universe.  
This chapter is for 'teachwriteslash' because she rocks! Hope you like this part too, hon. xx

x

It was starting to rain as Jack and Ianto sat on the park bench, watching their children play amongst the leaves and quickly forming puddles.

"We should head home," Jack murmured, not making any attempt to move from where he was leaning against Ianto's side.

The lawyer nodded his head, making a noise of agreement, remaining in his place until he felt a drop of water land in his eye and he let out a groan of pain as he tried to clear his vision.

"It's getting heavier," he remarked, pushing his partner away and getting to his feet. "Guys!" The two children a few feet away looked up curiously and their shoulders slumped when they saw Ianto beckoning them over.

"Tad!" Dylan whined once he had reached his parents. "We want to stay for longer."

Ianto shook his head, already busy zipping up Ellie's coat against the rapidly worsening weather. When a particularly strong gust of wind blew through the park, one of the four-year old's gloves flew out her hand and was across the playground in the blink of an eye.

Jack sighed and heaved himself to his feet. "I'll get it. You go get these two terrors in the car," he grinned, ruffling both his children's hair. He laughed when they simultaneously made to smack him in retaliation.

He groaned when he bent down, feeling his back tighten a little; either he was getting taller (and the floor was that much further away) or he was getting old. Personally, Jack hoped he had gained a few inches, no matter how unlikely that was.

"Jack?" A familiar voice made him straighten upright in surprise.

"It can't be," he whispered to himself, turning to see his ex-wife standing behind him, wrapped up tightly against the cold and clutching a lead in her hand. "Lorraine?"

She hadn't changed much in the ten years that had passed since the last time they'd spoke. Her hair was a bit shorter and a lighter shade of brown, and there was a few more wrinkles around her eyes; but she still appeared to be the same Lorraine he had married… and then divorced a few months later.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, clutching the pink glove in his hand, hoping to get rid of her and get back to his family.

A confused look passed over Lorraine's face, as though she didn't know why Jack would be mad at her, before she sighed. "I was hoping to bump into you," she whispered, glancing down at the small dog who was watching them with a look akin to boredom. "Although, I wasn't expecting to see you in the park on a cold Sunday morning."

Silence passed between them until she said, "You look good to say it's been ten years."

Jack snorted and shook his head. "As always your compliments are as wonderful as ever. I hope you didn't come back to Cardiff looking for Dylan… That's the name of my son, by the way."

Lorraine threw him a look of pure venom. "I know what his name is, I was there when you gave it to him."

Jack shrugged his shoulders and made to brush past her. "You can't keep me away," Lorraine called after him. "He's my son too; you've no right. If you try keep me away, I'll take you to court and I've got a good lawyer."

Jack span around and glared at her. "I have every right to keep you away from him. Biologically he may be your son, but where have you been for the past ten years? Who was there for his first lost tooth? His first word? First step? It sure as hell wasn't you!"

"Oh, and just for the record, my partner is the best lawyer in the city."

Lorraine frowned deeply at Jack's last sentence. "Oh, you… partner?"

Heaving a sigh, Jack ran his hand through his hair. Across the park, he could see Ianto waiting by the car, looking at him in concern. He shook his head, indicating to the other man that he was okay before turning back to Lorraine.

"Yes, partner. Civil partner, actually," Jack shrugged. "Look… I'm not making any promises, but I'll think about letting him spend some time with you. You're not getting custody of him or anything like that so don't even think about it. I wasn't lying, my partner really is the best lawyer in the city; if you go to court against him it'll just be a waste of time and money 'cause you won't win."

He pulled out his mobile phone, instructing Lorraine to give him her phone number. "If you don't hear from me by three o'clock tomorrow afternoon, it means I've changed my mind. In which case, I don't want you bothering us, you got me?"

x

The sun was already beginning to set when Jack finally got chance to talk to Ianto without the fear of being overheard by their children.

In silence they piled the dishes into the dishwasher, selected the correct feature and set the machine off.

Eventually Ianto grew tired of the silence and addressed the issue he knew Jack didn't want to discuss. "What are you going to do?"

"About what?" Jack replied stubbornly, staring out of the window at the rain soaked garden.

Ianto growled in frustration and leant against the counter next to his partner. "Don't be like this, Jack."

Jack sighed and lowered his head, falling silent until he continued, "I don't know," he admitted. "I always knew this was going to happen eventually. She threatened to take me to court if I denied her access."

Not speaking, Ianto nodded his head; that path was almost always the first course of action when it came to separated couples.

"What'd you think I should do?" Jack asked, turning his head and looking into Ianto's eyes.

"As your lawyer, I'd tell you that since she left you with Dylan and since he's been adopted by your partner, she wouldn't get far with the courts."

"And as said partner?" Jack pressed.

Ianto stepped closer, pressing his lips against Jack's hair. "He's your son, Jack. You need to do what's right for him."

"Damn it, Ianto!" Jack snapped, pulling away and turning around. "He's your son as well. We need to make this decision together. I can't make that choice on my own."

Not fazed by Jack's apparent anger, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack, pulling him closer slowly, letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "Maybe he's old enough to make the decision to see her on his own?"

Knowing Ianto was right, Jack heaved a sigh and buried his face in Ianto's shirt, inhaling the other man's scent. "Doesn't make what I have to do any easier," he muttered.

Ianto chuckled and put his hand under Jack's chin, tilting his head back so he could kiss him properly. "Nothing worth doing is ever easy."

x

Jack laughed and watched as Dylan and Ellie rolled around on the floor of the living room, tickling each other mercilessly. Spending time with his children and partner made working all week worthwhile.

Ellie let out a scream of laughter and tried to wriggle out of her older brother's grasp. "Tad!" she cried, running over to Ianto and trying to hide behind him. "Dyl's tickling me!"

Ianto grinned and grabbed Ellie around the waist, holding her high off the ground, well out of Dylan's reach. "Can't reach now, can you squirt?" he smirked down at the ten-year old who still looked so much like Jack.

As Dylan continued to attempt to get his little sister, Jack met Ianto's gaze with his own and a silent conversation passed between them.

"Dyl," Jack said quietly, reaching out and putting a hand on his hyper son's arm. "Calm down."

Ianto lowered Ellie so he was holding the young girl against his chest. "Come on, monster, time for your bath," he informed her, heading over to the door. Before he left the room he turned to Jack, silently offering the other man his support for what he was about to do.

"I don't want one!" Ellie whined, trying to wiggle out of Ianto's grasp. "Daddy tell him to let me go!"

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Bye, monster," he called, waving as the Welshman left the room.

"Dad?" Dylan asked, sensing something was wrong with his father; for a ten year old, he was amazingly in tune with adults and their moods.

The police officer slid over on the couch and patted the space next to him. "Sit down, kid. We need to talk."

Still frowning, Dylan followed his instructions, sitting down and allowing Jack to wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer against his body.

"You know how I took a long time getting Ellie's glove at the park?" Jack began, unsure of where to start, or even how to explain what he was about to say.

Dylan nodded his head, "Tad said you were being silly and got lost."

Jack's brow furrowed and he rolled his eyes, trust Ianto to think of some kind of explanation that would make him look like an idiot. "That's not technically true."

"Dad, what's going on?" Dylan demanded. He was getting more nervous about what Jack was going to say by the minute.

Taking a deep breath, Jack opened his mouth, not thinking about the words as he began to speak. "You know how Tess has a mom and a dad?"

"Auntie Gwen and Uncle Rhys," Dylan nodded his head.

"Yeah," Jack breathed in agreement, running a hand through his hair. This was as hard as he thought it was going to be. "At the park, I ran in to your mom," he added, mentally wincing when he realised how he'd pronounced the word.

Ianto would kill him if he found out he was speaking 'American' in front of Dylan. The children went to a British school, therefore they needed to learn how to pronounce things like the British children they were, not some 'crazy weirdo who spoke American phrases with a British accent'.

"My mum?" Dylan whispered quietly, looking down at his hands.

Jack nodded, "She wants to meet you."

"Oh."

They lapsed into silence until Jack couldn't take it any longer and was about to speak when Dylan murmured, "Don't you love tad anymore?"

To say that Dylan's question threw the American would have been an understatement. "What? Of course I do!" he cried loudly. "What'd make you think otherwise?" he asked, lowering his voice to a more acceptable level.

"You're my dad, she's my mum. Mums and dads are supposed to be married," Dylan shrugged his shoulders, looking everywhere but at Jack.

Jack chuckled and put his hand under his son's chin, turning his head so he could look at him. "How many kids in your class have just one mom or one dad? I bet there are even some who have two moms or two dads like you and monster. I thought we had this conversation years ago."

"Me and Lorraine, your mom, were married years along, long before I met and fell in love with your tad. Trust me, nothing is going to make me leave him for her." He actually almost shuddered at the mere thought of being with Lorraine.

"But she does want to see you," he continued. "I told her that I'd think about it, but at the end of the day it comes down to you. If you want to, we can go get a McDonalds with her so you can meet her face to face."

"What about tad?"

"He can come if he wants," Jack assured him, not entirely sure Ianto would be too receptive to the idea, but he didn't want to make Dylan any more pressured than he already was. "You don't have to decide right now…"

"I don't want to," Dylan cut in decisively.

"What?" Jack blinked in surprise. He had expected the ten year old to sit and think about things for a while instead of coming to a decision so suddenly. "Are you sure you don't what to think about this?"

Dylan shook his head, his features taking on a look of determination and Jack immediately knew he wasn't going to change his mind. "You, tad and monster are my family; not her. I don't want a mum, I've already got two dads. I don't need any more parents."

Feeling tears well up in his eyes, Jack grabbed and hugged Dylan tightly, not wanting to let go. Ever. He was growing up so fast that it terrified both him and Ianto on a daily basis. But, if the little speech he had just given was any indication, he was going to grow up to be a wonderful man and would no doubt make an excellent father – when he was forty, Jack added mentally.

When he was finally sure he wouldn't cry, Jack pulled back and brushed Dylan's hair back. "Love you, kid," he whispered, pressing a kiss against his forehead.

"Dad!" Dylan whined, trying to pull himself away from his father's lips. "Stop being a girl!"

Jack laughed and rolled his eyes, just as a loud crash and a big splash sounded from the bathroom above them. "That can't be good," Jack murmured, looking up at the ceiling as though he were expecting it to fall through. Which, in their house, wouldn't be that much of a surprise.

He glanced over at Dylan, who was looking up at the ceiling just as he was. "Race you upstairs," he cried, nudging him with his elbow before darting from the room, ignoring the indignant exclamations that he cheated and had a head start.

The End


End file.
